Tube-mill.



D. E. CAHLSUN.

TUBE MILL.

APPLICATION FILED IULVI-M HHS 1,1 83,43 1 Patented May 16, 1916.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

navmgn. CARLSON,

OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHALMERS &

WILLIAMS, IN 0., OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TUBE-MILL.

Application filed July 14. 1915. Serial No. 39,805.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID E. CARLsON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of (hieago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tube-Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tube mills and relates particularly to the type of tube mills commonly known as ball tube mills, in

' which heavy steel balls are used for crushing the ore instead of the pebbles used in the usual type of tube mills.

v I At the present tune. there Is a considerable tendency to make the shells of tube mills relatively short as cdnipared with former practice, say approximately (5 ft. long instead of from 10 to 20 ft. long, as heretofore, and to substitute heavy steel balls for the stones or pebbles heretofore generally used, crushing of the ore to a desired fineness being effected by passing the ore through the tube mills several times. Tube mills of this type, which, as stated, are known as ball tube mills, are principally used for effecting preliminary and partial crushing of. the ore. \Vith this construction and method ofoperation, it is obvious that the holes or openings in the diaphragm plate througlv which the crushed particles of ore pass must lie made considerably larger than necessary to permit the passage therethrough of the ore when crushed or pulverized to the final degree of fineness. That is said holes or openings must be sufliciently large to perinit the passage therethrough of only partially crushed or pulverized particles or ore. Also, to adapt said tube mills for working on different characters of ore; to regulate the number/6f times which the ore is to pass through the tube mill; and to provide for adjusting the size of the drainage openings. in case the metal at the inner ends thereof become peened or swaged by the action of the steel balls, so as to partially close said, drainage openings, means are provided for varying or adjusting the or for crushing ores ofditl'erent character.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

To this end my invention comprises the various features, combinations of features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

"In the accompanying drawings in which my invention-is fully illustrated, Figure 1 1s a central sectional view of the discharge end of a tube mill embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 12-2 of Fig. 1 showing the inner side of the per forated diaphragm plate in elevation, said plate being partly broken away to expose the means for supporting said diaphragm plate. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the diaphragm plate on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the diaphragm plate similar to that shown in As my invention relates only to the discharge end of the tube mill, and, as the general construction of such mills is generally well known to persons familiar with the art, I have. in-the drawing, shown only the discharge end of the mill, and will limit my description thereto. 2

Referring now to the drawing, A designates the shell of the tube mill, A. the head of which closes the discharge end of said shell, formed on which is a hollow trunnion A adapted to be mounted in a suitable fixed bearing, not shown, in a familiar manner. The shell A is provided with a lining A of suitable hard material, preferably manganese steel, said lining being so constructed and arranged that it may be readily re moved and rephu 'i when worn out, thus providing for ex "ng the life of the tube mill indefinitely. Supported upon and at a distance from the head A is the plate designated as a whole B, the periphery of which extends into close proximity to the shell A, and which defines a space B at the discharge end of the tube mill between the head A and said plate 13. As shown, said plate B is supported by means of bolts 7) which extend through said plate and the head A, inserted over which are suitable spacing sleeves b, which define the Width of the space of chamber B between said. plate and head. As regards their usual features and excepting as hereinafter particularly described, all of the foregoing features are old and well known in the art and will be readily understood by persons familiar with the construction and operation of tube mills of ber B are suitable means for raising water law contained in said space or chamber together with the pulverized material conveyed thereby and discharging the same through the discharge opening from said tube mill, as said tube mill revolves. Preferable means for this purpose are those shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,139,651, dated May 18, 1915, to which reference is made for a description thereof.

My invention, however, contemplates any desired or approved means for this purpose.

To effect the object of the invention as it relates to providing a diaphragm plate having adjustable drainage holes or open-. ings for the water and the pulverized material carried thereby, the diaphragm plate B comprises separate plates 1 and 2, of which the plate 1 is fixed, being rigidly connected to the head A by the bolts 1), and the plate 2 is adjustable relatively thereto.

Formed in each of the plates 1 and 2 is a series of holes or openings designated 3 and 4 respectively, which communicate with each other when said plates are as sembled in the machine to form the diaphragm plate B, to form the drainage holes or openings 5, which are continuous through the diaphragm plate B, the relation being such that the size of said drainage holes or openings 5 may be varied by adjusting the plate 2 relatively to the plate 1 so that the edges of said holes or openings will overlap to a greater or less extent. As shown, the series of holes or openings 3 and 4 in the plates 1 and 2 are arranged substantially radially and the size of the holes 5 is adapted to be-varied by adjusting the plate 2 radially, said plate 2 consisting of a plurality of separate segments to provide for thus adjusting said plate. Also. for convenience of construetion and adjustment, said plate 2 is made up of a plurality of separate circular series. As shown, there are two such series, the inner series consisting of {our segments des ignated 2' and the outer series consisting of eight segments designated 2.

As shown, the segments of the plate 2 are supported by means of a ring 6 inserted between the inner edges of the segments 2 and a shoulder 7 formed on the hollow cone 8 supported axially in the space or chamber ll, the apex of which extends into the discharge opening in the trunnion A and which operates. in a familiar manner, to conduct the pulp which' drains into said chamber 13 to the dischargeopening from the tube mill in the supporting trunnion A hen in desired adjusted positions, the sega of the plate are adapted to be m such. adjusted positions by means of the bolts 6 and the spacing sleeves b, tightening the nuts on said bolts operating to draw the diaphragm plate B bodily toward, the head A and thus clamp the segments of the plate 2 between the inner ends of the spacing sleeves b and the outer face of the plate 1.

With the described construction it is obvious that the size of the holes 5 may be varied by radial adjustment of the segments of the plate 2, outward adjustment of said segments operating to increase the size of said holes or openings and inward adjustment thereof operating to decrease the size thereof. Such adjustment of said segments is adapted to be effected by substituting for the ring 6 another, which is either thicker or thinner as it is desired to adjust the segments of said plate 2 inwardly to reduce the size of said openings or outwardly to increase the size thereof.

-Formed in the segments of the plate 2 are holes 9 which are adapted to receive the bolts b which support the diaphragm plate B, said holes being elongated in the lin of adjustment of said segments to provide for desired adjustment thereof, but fitting said bolts quite closely at right angles to the line of adjustment of said segments, thus operating to support said segment a ainst lateral displacement.

In use, t e'diaphragm plate B is subjected to a very severe abrading'action by the steel balls used for crushing the ore and to enable said plate to. withstand the wear to which it is thus subjected, said plates 1 and 2 are preferably made of manganese steel or other similar hard, strong metal. Owing to the hardness of manganese steel and the practical impossibility of working same with usual tools, the only practical way of forming said plates is by casting. Also, as is well known to molders, it is practically impossible to form holes 3 and 4 ofdesired smallness, say for example 3, of an inch in width, by casting, for the reason that they would have to be formed by cores and the molten metal, when poured into the mold, would break down sand cores and would fuse metal cores. To overcome this difiiculty, therefore, both the holes 3 and 4 are made considerably wider than required, say from 1} inch to if inch wide, the desired width of drainage holes or openings being obtained by means of projections 10 formed on the segments of the plate 2, which extend into the openings 3 in the plate 1. said projections being of sul'istantially the same length. circumferentially, as said holes 3 but being loosely fitted thereto so that said pro jections will not, by binding, interfere with adjustment of the segments of said plate 2. By properly fitting the ends of the projections 10 to the holes or openings 3, it is obvious that said projections 10 will cooperate with the bolts 6 to suppora the segments of the plate 2 against lateral displacement. Also, said projections are made Sufliciently narrower than the width of the holes 3 in the plate 1 into which they extend, to provide drainage holes of desired maximum width or size, say, in usual cases, about inch. In the preferable construction shown, also, the corresponding sides of the holes or openings 3 and of the projections 10 are correspondingly inclined or flared, thus providing for drawing the patterns in preparing the molds without damaging said molds. Also, for COIIYQHIGIICU in casting and to prevent material from lodging therein. the holes 4 in the plate 2 are preferably flared, the ends thereof which open into the chamber B being larger than the opposite ends thereof.

In the operation of my improved tube mill, the crushed material, when discharged from the tube mill, goes to a classifier which separates the coarser from the finer particles of ore. the ore which has been crushed to a desired degree of fineness -being delivered from said classifier to other apparatus by which it is subjected to the next succeeding step in the process of recovering the values in the ore, and the coarser material being subjected to further crushing, either in the same tube mill or in other crushing machinery.

I claim 1. A diaphragm plate fora tube mill comprising separate plates secured together and adjustable relatively to each other, said plates being provided with holes the edges of which overlap, the holes in one of said plates being relatively large, and projections on the other plate which extend into said holes, said projections being narrower than the width of said holes and forming sides of free openings in the plate other thanthat on which they are formed, the opposite sides of said free openings being formed by the edges of the holes in said plate which overlap the edges of the holes in the plate on which said projections are formed, substantially as described.

2. In a tube mill. the combination of a diaphragm plate. comprising a plate secured in fixed position in the shell of the tube mill. and a plate divided on substantially radial and circular lines to form segments secured to said fixed plate and adjustable relatively thereto, the outer segments of said plate being supported by the inner segments thereof, and a ring inserted between said inner segments of said plate and a shoulder formed on a rigid part of the tube mill, and which defines the positions of said segments relativcly to said fixed plate. said plates being provided with holes the edges of which overlap. the holes in one of said plates being relatively large, and projections on the other plate which extend int said holes. said pro- Jections being narrower than the width of said holes and forming sidcs of free openings in the plate other than that on which they are formed. the opposite sides of said tree openings being formed by the edges of the holes in said plate which overlap the edges of the holes in the plate on which said" forming sides of tree openings in sai ancr plate the opposite sides of which are xmcd by the edges oi the holes in said inn plate which overlap the edges of the holes ormed in the outer plate. substantially as dc: ribed.

4. diaphragm plate for a tube miil comprising separate plates secured togetb: and adjustable relatively to each other. aid plates being provided with communicating holes. the holes in one of said plate being relatively large. and projections on the other plate which extend into said holes, said projections being narrower than the width of said holes and forming sides of trce openings in the plate other than that on which they are formed the opposite sides of wl ich are formed by the edges of the holes in said plate which overlap the edges of the holes in the plate on which said projections are formed. and the sides of said projections which define sides of said free openings being flush with the overlapping e lges ot' the holes in the plates on which they are formed. substantially as described.

5. A diaphragm plate for a tube mill comprising separate plates secured to and adjustable relatively to each other. said plates being provided with c mmunicating holes. the holes in one of said plates being relativel." large and being flared toward the dis charge ends thereof. and projections.onv the other plate which extend into said hole iid projections being narrower than the -width of said holes into which they extend and be ing tapered oppositely to the flare of said holes. and said projections forming sides of tree openings in the plate other than that on which they are formed. the opposite sides of said free openings being formed by the. edges the holes in said plate which overlap the edges of the holes in the plate on which said projections are formed, Substantially as described.

6. A diaphragm plate for a tube mill comprising separate plates secured together and aiiliustzibie reiativcly to each other, said plates being provided with communicating in l which flare toward their discharge that holes in one of said plates being ,atively large, and projections on the other plate which extend. into said holes, said proie tions being narrower than the Width of 1% hoies into which they extend and being i oppositely to the Hare of said holes, iii projections forming sides of free n the plate other than that on v iuii they are formed, the opposite sides Y which are formed by the edges of the holes n said plate which overlap the edges of the holes in the plate on which said projeetions are formed, and the sides of said rojections wliir-hdefine sides of said free openings being flush with the overlapping edges of the holes in the plates on which they are formed, substantially as described.

7. In tube mill the combination of a diaphragm plate secured in the shell of the tube mill, said diaphragm plate comprising an integral fixed plate anda plate comprising a plurality of separate sections adjustably secured to said fixed plate :tfldJIwanS for supporting said sections m position'consisting of a ring inserted between the sections of said plate and a shoulder on a rigid part of the tube mill, said diaphragm plate being provided with free drainage holes formed y communicating holes in said fixed plate and in the adjustable sections of the plate secured thereto the edges of which overlap more or less as the adjustment of said sec' tions relatively to said fixed. plate is varied, spbstantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix my signature in the resence of two subscribing witnesses this 24th day of June, A. I). 1915.

DAVID E. CARLSON.

Witnesses:

. VALTER V. BAYLES, WILLIAM B. EAs'roN; 

